Jeremy Lin vs Ricky Rubio: Which PG Sensation Has Been the Bigger Surprise?

Jeremy Lin has hijacked the NBA, and with his Saturday night showdown against fellow point guard prodigy Ricky Rubio, we'll get another look at the couch-surfing Harvard grad who has taken the league by storm.

The Shao-Lin warrior went straight bonkers against Kobe and the Lakers on Friday night, dropping 38 points and seven assists in 39 minutes. He pulled his usual herky-jerky routine, slicing through the lane at will to either set up an open teammate or finish a surprisingly pretty layup.

It was his fourth game playing major minutes, and not-so-coincidentally, the Knicks fourth straight win. He's averaging 28.5 points and 8.0 assists during New York's winning streak while emphatically answering the question on everyone's mind: "Who the hell is Jeremy Lin?"

In this era of 24-hour media, the non-stop news cycle makes it easy to get caught up in Internet sensations. So as surprising as his play has been, no one should be shocked that Linsanity is sweeping the country. After all, we do reside in the same nation that nearly imploded when Tim Tebow got down on his knee and prayed.

Still, Lin's meteoric rise from sofas to stardom is on the verge of legendary. He's been so good, so surprising, that we've almost forgotten about Ricky "Spanish Chocolate" Rubio. The flashy point guard with the shaggy mop-top has drifted to the back of our minds despite doing things like this, this, this and this on a nightly basis.

Rubio was criticized after some sub-par seasons with Barcelona, but his game has translated beautifully to the NBA. He's averaging 10.9 points, 8.7 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game. He's also playing some mad D. Thanks to his long arms and exceptional instincts, the rookie is leading the league with 2.44 steals per game.

Lin's strong performances have been far more surprising, but Rubio has shown that he can sustain a high level of play over a (somewhat) extended period of time. He's still the better point guard, and I'm expecting him to prove it tonight.

Unfortunately, the game isn't on national television. But if you have League Pass, or are poor like me, you can find a semi-legal Internet stream and watch this season's two most surprising players trade blows in Minnesota.